Toby is a divorced father who's trying to make a better life. His brother is an ex-con with a short temper and a loose trigger finger. Together, they plan a series of heists against the bank... Read allToby is a divorced father who's trying to make a better life. His brother is an ex-con with a short temper and a loose trigger finger. Together, they plan a series of heists against the bank that's about to foreclose on their family ranch.Toby is a divorced father who's trying to make a better life. His brother is an ex-con with a short temper and a loose trigger finger. Together, they plan a series of heists against the bank that's about to foreclose on their family ranch.
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 47 wins & 174 nominations total
- Olney Teller
- (as Kristin Berg)
- Jenny Ann
- (as Katy Mixon)
- Vernon PD Officer
- (as Howard S. Ferguson Jr.)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film is dedicated to David John Mackenzie (1929-2015) and Ursula Sybil Mackenzie (1940-2015), the parents of director David Mackenzie. Both died while he was making this film. You can also see references to them by their initials along with these years showing up on certain license plates throughout the film.
- GoofsThe Albuquerque skyline can be seen from the Rangers' office window.
- Quotes
Toby Howard: I've been poor my whole life, like a disease passing from generation to generation. But not my boys, not anymore.
- SoundtracksDollar Bill Blues
Written & Performed by Townes van Zandt (as Townes Van Zandt)
Courtesy of RCA Records Nashville
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
However, giving a glimpse at some sore social and economical spots of the modern US isn't enough to make the movie stellar. And while Hell or High Water is without a doubt a solid product, with a plot that doesn't crumble and some mature acting from the people you might not expect it from (Chris Pine, for instance, definitely exceeded my expectations, and it was refreshing to see him take on a grown-up role for a change), it still lacks somewhat in terms of artistic design.
Yes, the social and political message is reiterated over and over, loud and clear, but the story itself remains just a bit too shallow, giving you not enough moral choices to make things complicated. What if Jeff Bridges' character was less of a grumpy old fart constantly ridiculing his partner? What if the Howard brothers were less handsome or had sightly uglier motives or execution style? Maybe it would be less appealing to root for the "good guy pushed to the edge by the unjust circumstances". And while it would've definitely made things more twisted, it would have also made this flick more intriguing and exciting to watch.
Well, maybe it wasn't the case. But even if Hell or High Water comes short in regard to artsy dilemmas, it's still right on about the Texan lifestyle, hard as nails, and about the people who live it straight, on both sides of the law. And that's definitely good enough to consider those 102 minutes well-spent.
- Semisonic
- Jan 10, 2017
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $12,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $27,007,844
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $621,329
- Aug 14, 2016
- Gross worldwide
- $37,999,675
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1